Record winter tourist season for Finnish Lapland
In addition to a surge in tourism in Arctic areas of Finnish Lapland, the more southerly cities of Kemi and Tornio also saw an upswing in wintertime visitors.
This past winter was in many ways a record-breaking one in Finnish Lapland with the city of Rovaniemi, in particular, continuing to grow in popularity as a tourist destination.
The city recorded 1.1 million overnight stays between November and March, almost a fifth more than during the previous winter season.
The revenue from accommodation rentals in Rovaniemi increased by a third to around 130 million euros.
Draw of the sea
The most south-west region of Finnish Lapland, known as “Sea Lapland”, also attracted a large number of tourists.
The icebreaker Sampo, which has been fitted out as a cruise vessel, and its sister ship Arktis, had a record season ploughing the Bothnian Bay. The Kemi tourist office reports that the vessels carried more than 36,000 cruise guests during the season, compared to a previous record of just over 20,000.
Tourism also showed a sharp upswing in Tornio, says Anni Lamomprom, the city’s tourism coordinator. During the whole of last year, overnight stays increased by a fifth, and international overnight stays by as much as 29 percent.
“Hotel occupancy in the region is above the Finnish average, and group bookings have been made with international tour operators for years to come,” she told Yle.
Air travel at peak times
Lapland’s airports were also been busy during the winter season, as their passenger volume increased by just under a fifth (19%) compared to 2023. The region’s airports in Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Kittilä and Kuusamo, saw the strongest growth in air travel, compared to the rest of the country.
For example, in February, Rovaniemi had 46 percent more travel entries from outside the Schengen area than during the same month of last year. In the run-up to Christmas, Rovaniemi airport received up to 80 flights a day.
Enontekiö airport also saw a 20 percent increase in the number of visitors compared to the previous winter. Enontekiö registered more than 38,000 passengers during the winter season.
Levi’s slopes attracted crowds
Kittilä had a very good winter for tourism, says Satu Pesonen, CEO of Visit Levi. Growth was been particularly strong among international visitors.
“The statistics show only a fraction of all accommodation use. The number of unregistered accommodations has increased by almost ten percent,” says Pesonen.
Pesonen adds that she is not worried that winter tourism growth might have to be limited, as the focus in Kittilä is now on expanding summer tourism.
Further south in Lapland, Ranua Resort, and its zoo, registered its best results in history last year. The company’s turnover was 6.8 million euros, which is about 1.4 million more than in 2023. Nearly 129,000 people visited the zoo through the course of 2024.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: U.S. tariffs threatening Indigenous tourism rebound in North, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Not-so snowy start to winter casts a gloomy shadow over Lapland tourisms, Yle News
Greenland: New Copenhagen-Kangerlussuaq flight aims to boost Greenland tourism, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland moving ahead on better ways to manage tourism & safeguard protected areas, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Arctic tourism in Norway: “People crash into trees and get broken bones”, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Reindeer herding affected by increased tourism in Swedish mountains, Radio Sweden
